Notre Dame’s 2026 offensive line has the kind of upside that can turn a good season into a special one, and Anthonie Knapp sits right at the center of it.
The most experienced returnee in Joe Rudolph’s group is making a big move this offseason, sliding from left tackle to left guard. For Notre Dame, that shift is about unlocking the best version of a player who already brings elite athleticism and polished pass protection to the table. For Knapp, it may be the move that takes his ceiling from very good to something much bigger.
Knapp’s résumé already tells the story of a lineman who has been trusted early and often. He started as a true freshman in 2024, started again in 2025, and now heads into 2026 as a key leader up front. Across his career, he has logged 1,531 snaps and allowed 42 pressures and five sacks, according to PFF.
The jump from year one to year two was real. In 2024, Knapp gave up 31 pressures and four sacks.
Last season, that number dropped to 11 pressures and one sack, though Notre Dame did not play in the College Football Playoffs in 2025. The opener against Miami was rough, and he had some work to do against Texas A&M and SEC Defensive Player of the Year Cashius Howell.
But the season started to settle down in the fourth game against Arkansas, and from that road trip through the end of the year, Knapp did not allow a sack. The only quarterback hit in that stretch came against Boston College, and in five of the final eight games he didn’t allow a pressure at all.
That kind of finish is why the expectations are so high now.
Notre Dame’s staff believes Knapp fits even better inside, where his skill set can play up. At tackle, he had trouble when asked to operate in space.
At guard, the game comes at him faster, but the area he has to cover is different, and the Irish think that gives him a chance to become an elite interior lineman. The move looked natural this spring, including during the jersey scrimmage, even if there were still moments that showed where he needs to keep growing.
At 6-5 and 304 pounds, Knapp will spend fall camp adjusting to the speed of life on the interior while also building chemistry with redshirt freshman left tackle Will Black. Black is the only first-time starter in the trenches for Notre Dame this fall, which makes that left-side connection especially important.
The ceiling here is obvious. Knapp’s best-case projection at tackle was as a solid to really good player.
Inside, the bar rises. Notre Dame believes he has the tools to develop into an All-American and even a first-round NFL draft pick.
That’s a big leap, but it’s one backed by 27 career starts and a track record of handling major snaps.
He also brings something the rest of the room needs: experience. Center Ashton Craig is back from injury, and redshirt junior Sullivan Absher is stepping back into the starting lineup at right guard, but Knapp is the only offensive lineman on the roster who has played in the College Football Playoffs. That matters, and it gives him a chance to set the tone for the group.
A strong season for Knapp would mean he’s viewed as one of the best interior offensive linemen in the country and is playing at an All-American level, whether or not the awards follow. Notre Dame will need that from him.
With Jeremiyah Love and Jadarian Price gone, the line has to help carry more of the run game. And with quarterback CJ Carr back as a preseason Heisman favorite, the Irish can’t afford any drop-off in pass protection either.
Knapp is expected to be a major part of that equation.
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